A high priority area for behavioral community psychologists involves working to strengthen informal support systems within communities. A collaborative effort between a community group and academic based psychologists focusses on a community problem--dog litter in an urban area. An original demonstration project was used to influence the political…

The educational and pyschological effects of the practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM) on secondary school students were examined. A course including TM technique was taught to two public high school classes of 30 volunteers each. One class took the TM course for both semesters; the other took an alternative course in self-development for the…

This description of a weight reduction program, based on generalizations derived from eight years of work with overweight persons, discusses the clients' rationalization of overeating behaviors. In this behavior modification program, the client is required to permanently give up one high calorie food and to write down all foods eaten before actual…

Obesity is one of the most prevalent health concerns currently facing industrialized nations. Psychological, social and emotional problems result from excess weight, and those who fail in their weight-loss efforts become extremely depressed. The obsession to be thin, particularly in the United States, is a boon to weight-control programs, both…